Track-rail lubricating device



Nov. 22,1932. E. B.'KEIM TRACK RAIL LUBRICA TING DEVICE I Filed Oct. 13. 1930 INVENTOR:

Hem,

runways.

I l Elisha 15A 1 BY Fjailzi Patented Nov. 22, 1932 'ELISHA s xism, or rnrmnnnrmarnmvsvnvnma a TRACK-BAIL I UBR CATING DEVICE fffafipn ationmeq mar 13, 1930. sen-arm; 488,311;

' My invention relates todevices for lubri'-- eating track-rails and the flanges of wheels passing over the same, and isespecially useful in preventing undue wear of the rails and reducingnoises at curves. V a n One objector my invention is to provide a lubricant reservoir and mechanism associated therewith fordeliveringfa spray of lubricant adjacent a rail head incident to the passing ofwheels therealong, the apparatus being adapted to be-carried on and secured tothe rail in sueh manner that no additional support for the apparatus is necessary so that its operation is notafiected by the yield of the track. i i

A further object of the invention is to'pro vide clamping means for: yieldingly' main-' taining the lubricating device under firm pressure against: the railiweb 'while permit- 29 ting its ready removal. My invention thus dispenses with the necessity of: piercing the rail andthe use of through bolts, and thus it enables the device to be attached to the rail at any point and readily changed from one 5 position to another. a

A further object of the invention is. to provide aisi mple and compact rail. lubricator designed to fit. substantially within the bol low of the rail and to occupy a minimum of 9 space. on

'Other objects and advantages ofxthe invention will be apparent from thedetailed description of oneembodimentthereof which follows hereinafterand which has reference to the accompanying drawing.

Ofthe drawing: r r V I represents a front elevation'of the lubricating device.

Fignll represents a cross-sectional view taken: as indicated by the arrows II-II of Fig. I. v i

Fig. III represents an: end elevation taken from theopposi teend'; and I 1 Fig; IV represents a top plan view of a portion of the device; 7 With particular reference to Fig; I of the drawing; there is illustrated an embodiment or the invention comprising generallya lubricant reservoir 1 in'the form of a threaded pipe, at plunger block Qand'a'cap block 3,

the blocks snugly fitting the hollowof a. rail 4: and being firmly clamped to the'rail l by means of clamps5 and 6, respectively. The cap bloclr'3 serves simplyas an end closurerfor thelubrica'nt reservoir 1. It is internally threaded at 7 to engage one end of the reservoir/1 and is of such shape that it is adapted to rest against the web 18% and flange 910i the rail.- One side ofthecap block. 3 is provided with a cavity 510 m- F commodatinglthe clamp 6. f'lnfitspreferred form thezclamp 6 consists of a' flatstrip' :of spring steel bent to the shape illustrated and -7 having its, ends 11 and 12 turned ,inwardto' engage respectivelyithe cavityIO of the cap block3 and the flange 9 of theirailk The central portion of the'clamp 6 is semi-circular in shape, tending to spring the'ends 11 andi 12 together, and thus the clamp 6 yieldingly but fir'mlysmaintainsl the block 3 againstthe 7,9 1'

rail4." V ,7 r v At the otherend the reservoir 1 is threaded at 13 to engage'lthe plungerblock'2which issimilar in outline'to the cap block 31pm viously'described, but somewhat larger. The 7: Y

clamp 5 is also generally similar tor-the; cap block clamp 6 except thatprovisioni is inade fora screw114 to: engage the plungen block 2 and prevent the "possibility of its. dis- 1 lodgmenti i n; v p 'F I" 39 The plunger block 2 isbored at='1 5;to ac-. commodate a plunger 16 and spring-l7, the plunger head occupyinga position. near: the

gauge side of the rail head and directly in the palm-5 the .flai rges of passing wheels; Beneath the plunger chamberr15 there" is an intake passage'18 leading thereto from the reservoir 1 through anintake check valve 19;, which projects into the reservoir and in eludes a:valve seat 20, "a ball.21,-and pin 22, 99 V for keeping'the ball in place. There isalso a discharge passage23 leading from the bottom of the plunger chamber'toan additional passage 24 extendingsupward'through ajball I valve 25 to a" dischargejet 26. The jet 26 isjadapted' to' deliver a' spray of'lubricant preferably in a direction towardsthe throat of the wheel, as illustrated in 'outline' afl of the passing vehicle. "The balli'29'ofthe ball valve 25 is confined within certain limits m0 provided a vent vent commumcating reservolr 1 and prevent ng the exlstence of a leads from the discharge "side'of the ball valve33 to the lubricant reservoir 1.

The plunger 16 has a shoulder "38 which normally engages a, collar -39 screwed into a the top of the plunger block 2. The collar 39 is prevented from'turning by means ofa .t apbolt 40, which engages .a recess on the outer'surface of the 'collar 39'. ,Atthe top of he reservoirl opening and accommodating a screen 42. Thescreen 42 is held by means of a collar .43, and the filler opening is closed by a cap 44.

Inorder to permit the free circulationof 7 oil from the reservoir 1'to the jet 26 by means if the reciprocation of the plunger" 16, there with the top of. the

vacuum in the reservoir. g The operation of the apparatus is as follows: V 1 'Upon the passage of a train the flanges of its wheels strike the head of the plunger 16 causing. the plunger to be intermittently depressed against the action of the spring 17. The rapid reciprocationof the plunger 16 pumps oil from: the reservoir 1 through the intake check valve 19 and passage 18 into the plunger chamber 15; From thence the oil'is discharged through passages 23 and 24, and

the discharge valve 25 to the jet 26,' issuing from the j et in'the form of t a spray against the rail head and passing wheels. A film of oil is thus distributed for some length along'the-gauge side Of the rail headfand this film'gof oil reduces track wear and the nojsefofithe passing"train. i I

within the plunger block. 2, a portion. of the oil will be circulated through the by-pass 31, valve'i33, and passage 37 back to thereser vo1r1. v The resistance offered by the spring 34 and hence the pressurerequired tobperate h ball, valve 33 can be regulated by means of'the adjustin r ".It 'will'Ebe apparent from the description hereinbf one practical embodiment of the invention',"that the apparatus is so designed as to be'sub'stantially accommodated within the hollowTof a rail i .'e. with its centerof gravity betweenfthe edge 'of the rail flange and, the rail web and supported entirely thereon. Heretofore' track lubricators of the plunger type have projected laterally for some disrail head adj aeent the lubricator,

there pro- 25" vided an opening 41; ii'onstituting 1 wiifiller .in-the cap block 3,.this

"on: an over-accumulation "of pressure tance from the rail with a center of gravity beyond the edge of the base of the rail, thus necessitating the use of large through bolts for securing the lubricator to the rail. With myinvention the lubricator in its entirety occupies a spacewhich may be no larger than thewidthiof the flange ofia standard rail-,"an'd by means of-thev clamping means selected, thelubricator may be readily attached to the rail atany point without the necessity of piercing-the, rail, and the lubricator may be readily shifted from one polnt to anotherf QIf-Qby reason of the wearing down of the or through some f other cause, 'theflanges of, passing wheels do not squarely strike jthei head of the. v V plunger 16,'injury' tothe plunger is prevents ed because the plunger block 2 is yieldingly; maintained against the rail and theblock 2. will yield upon a'forcestrikingthe inside edgeof the plunger andtending to breakthe; plunger, and-thus prevent injury to,..the apparatus. f a f, :v While I have described'the inventio'nuin some detail andwith reference to the particular. example of it, it'will, :of'cburse, be,

apparent that various: changes in the form of the apparatus maybe made without departing from the spirit of the. invention as claimed. v 7 I M Having thus described my inventiom-I claim: J f. T i

- 1. A track-rail lubricating device comprisi'ng a: pair. of blocks snugly fittingthe web of the rail and secured thereto, a lubricant reservolr extending longitudinally of the rail:

and having itsends retained within said blocks,'=and meanswithin oneof said blocks 2 and operable by a passingwheel. for deliver 'ing a spray'of lubricant.

2. A track-rail lubricating devicecom'pris' ing. a lubricant reservoir disposed substantially within the hollow of the railand ex tending longitudinally therealong, blocks -;at

ids

iio

the en'dsof said reservoir,v andnieans for securing the-same to'the rail web,,one of'said blocks including a pump operable bya pass ing wheel rail head. V a

3; A track-rail lubricatingdevice comprising a'lubricant reservoir, a pump operable-by a passing wheel for spraying lubricant adjacentthe rail head, said reservoir and pump being disposedsubstantially within the hollow of the rail on the gauge side thereof, and springs extending beneath the rail and engaging. the flange at theiother side'aof the rail, said springs being adapted to clamp the reservoir and pumpyieldin'gly'to the rail.-

for spraying lubricant adjacentthe N 4. Atrack-rail lubricating device comprising .a lubricant reservoir','a pair ofblocks at the ends of said reservoir,one of said blocks 7 including. means operable by a passing wheel for deliveringa spray of lubricant,each said block having one side adapted to fit the hollow of the rail and having a cavity in its opposite side, and means engaging said cavities and the rail flange for yieldingly clamping said blocks to the rail.

5. A track-rail lubricating device compris- V ing a lubricant reservoir, a pair of end 010- sures for said reservoir, one of said end closures including means operable by a passing Wheel for delivering a spray of lubricant, and spring steel clamps for securing said end closures to the rail with capacity for limited yielding movement.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 10 day of October 1930.

ELISHA B. KEIM. 

